


In-Law

by catty_the_spy



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Flash Fic, Forced Marriage, Gen, Marriage Law Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-01
Updated: 2014-01-01
Packaged: 2018-01-07 20:40:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 697
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1124156
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/catty_the_spy/pseuds/catty_the_spy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The interim Minister of Magic has created an unpopular law.</p>
            </blockquote>





	In-Law

**Author's Note:**

> for the hc_bingo prompt “forced soulboding”. I wrote a marriage law fic! Who’da thunk? This is more the purging of an idea than anything substantial.

Hermione was furious.

There was no getting around it. Arthur Weasley and Kingsley Shaklebolt were in the running for Minister, but Pemsley Weatherbottom held the job in the meantime, and he was a tad overzealous in his quest for reparations.

“This is entirely unacceptable!” Hermione screeched.

Ron grunted his agreement, completely miserable.

“It’s utterly barbaric! I simply cannot believe that anyone would be so stupid-”

“Look on the Brightside,” Neville said, the picture of gloom. “At least you have someone. What am I supposed to do?”

“-completely moronic, massively shortsighted-”

Ron nodded sympathetically. “There’s not that many muggleborn witches our age; not that are still alive.”

“-primeval, inhumane, Voldemortian levels of-”

Neville frowned. “D’you remember Cecily, a year below us? I think she might be a halfblood.”

“Nah, not enough to count.”

Hermione ran out of steam, collapsing onto the couch that took up a whole wall of her flat. “I’m only eighteen,” she wailed, leaving righteous fury behind in favor of panic and despair. “That’s too young to be married to anyone.”

 

Harry showed up late, as usual. He made up for it by bringing news.

“Malfoy’s already found him some mouse of a muggle,” he said. “The DLE checked his wand but turns out she came along willingly.”

Hermione found it in her to smile. “He’s probably been planning for something like this. To make himself look better to the Wizengamot,” she added quickly. “It makes perfect sense.”

“Well he’s well out of it. They announced it as soon as the DLE was through with him. Rustled up the bloke who married his parents and everything. WB nearly kissed him for cooperating without protest.”

“George bucked up and married Katie before the law could stop him. Angelina did the same with Lee. I don’t know what Seamus and Dean are planning. They were always going to faff about together.”

“What are you planning, Harry?”

Harry shrugged. “I guess ask Ginny. I suppose we can always divorce later.”

Ron and Neville’s face wrinkled with confusion, but it was Hermione who said “Harry…you can’t.”

“Can’t what? Marry Ginny? Why not?”

“No…you…” Hermione shook her head, red with frustration and a hint of something darker. “Wizards can’t divorce, Harry. The magic involved in a wedding is like an unbreakable vow. It binds your souls – your magic together.”

Harry blinked and frowned. “I don’t understand.”

“They’re forcing us to…oh for goodness sake!”

Hermione got up and went to her bedroom, slamming the door behind her. She could hear the rumble of voices from the main room, Harry explaining divorce to Neville and Ron and the flurry of discussion that followed.

Hermione felt her magic preparing to lash out with the same strength as her anger. She wanted to be somewhere, anywhere else.

What was she going to do?

The boys lowered their voies to a soft buzz of noise. She very cleary heard Ron announcing that he’d “sort her out”.

Probably only Neville grasped the indelicate phrasing of that sentence.

Ron pounded on the door, and then – seeming rethinking his plan – settled for a hesitant tap on the wood. “Mione?”

Hermione hadn’t studied expressions of wild magic in young adults. It was likely that she’d break her dishes if she didn’t get her temper under control. She liked those; her parents had bought them for her, as a housewarming gift.

Ron tapped on the door again. “You…you aren’t crying are you?”

She laughed despite herself and opened the door.

Ron shifted awkwardly. “Are you alright? We’re all a bit hopeless without you.”

“I’m feeling a bit hopeless myself.”

“Well there’s no sense felling hopeless by yourself. At least with you we might be able to make a plan.”

His tone was all but begging. She gave him a lopsided smile.

“Ron…you know I care for you a great deal….”

“Oh I’m not ready to marry you either.”

They stared at each other a moment, and then Ron smiled and Hermione giggled, and finally they both relaxed.

“We can drink firewhisky and find things to break?” Ron suggested.

Hermione nodded. “And in the morning we’ll plan.”

In the end, that was all they could do.  



End file.
